Rory McIlroy’s busy 2018 schedule will suit Grand Slam ambitions

All roads lead to Augusta.

Rory McIlroy has Georgia on his mind. The 28-year-old is currently enjoying an extended break from competitive golf, after which he will embark on a busy schedule in the lead up to the Masters in April, where he will attempt to become just the sixth player in the sport's history - after Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Gene Sarazen - to win the career Grand Slam. McIlroy has in the past made no secret about how he covets the Green Jacket and his schedule during the early part of 2018 suggests he wants his game to be razor-sharp before taking on the immaculately manicured fairways of Augusta. The Holywood native announced on his website that he is kicking off his 2018 season with the European Tour's Middle East Swing, competing in both the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and Dubai Desert Classic. He will then travel to the United States for a run of five tournaments in six weeks, starting with Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February, with friend Harry Diamond on the bag after the golfer decided to retain his services as a caddy. This year, McIlroy played just four times ahead of the Masters. With just a quartet of appearances under his belt in the 12 weeks leading up to the year's first major, McIlroy's game wasn't all there as he endured a mixed bag in breaking 70 just once, ruining his chances of clinching a first Masters title. He's determined to avoid the same mistake in 2018. With a bolstered schedule, McIlroy has the opportunity to play his way into some great form before taking on Augusta. McIlroy played just 18 times in 2017, which is the least he's played in a full season as a professional, and the stop-start nature of the way he planned his year may have disrupted the building of any momentum. He finished second in South Africa but didn't play again for nearly two months. He just wasn't able to get over the line this season, being pipped by Paul Dunne at the British Masters after coming up short at both The Open Championship and Bridgestone Invitational. One of the goals for 2018 must be to climb back up the world rankings. In a year that has seen the emergence of Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm, McIlroy has slipped to tenth. The former number one will be out to prove a point against the emerging crop and, thanks to a stacked schedule, he will have more opportunities to do just that.